Being fiction, a lot of video game stories have the ability to increase the stakes of the player’s mission to incredible scale. This is certainly the case for the upcoming Aphelion, a sci-fi action-adventure game in which players will be responsible for finding a new world for humanity after Earth has become uninhabitable. Developed by Don’t Nod, the game was first revealed last year during the Xbox Games Showcase where players got a sense for the characters and broad objective. With the latest trailer, gamers got not only a release date, but also key specifics about the situation the protagonists find themselves in.
The trailer begins with the ominous assertion that Earth is dying in 2060, and that the best solution lies with a double ringed planet recently discovered to be the ninth in the solar system title “Persephone”. The shots of the gameplay only add to the forlorn tone of the trailer by showing off the hostile nature of the frozen planet, constantly breaking apart and storming to provide a challenge to the main characters. It does not shy away from the strange elements of the genre either, showing off advance technology able to manipulate the energy network around the planet to move objects. There are even hints that the characters are being hunted, though by what isn’t immediately clear.
The emotional core of the story is tied to the two playable characters, Thomas and Ariane, who players will switch between as they search for one another following an unexpected crash. The Steam store page highlights that Ariane’s journey will be focused more on exploring while Thomas’ will hinge mostly on survival after he is injured.
The survival of humanity is one of the most grandiose goals for a game, which Aphelion looks to be mixing with a personal story about the relationship between two astronauts. The game is set to release on April 28th for console and PC.